eNews from Telos / Omnia / Axia, April, 2007 - Pre-NAB Edition!

* WELCOME TO NAB: We realize that not all of you will make it to Las Vegas this year, but we hope that the information in this email will be interesting to you nonetheless. We're debuting lots of new gear that we'll tell you about further down; and if you _are_ coming to NAB, you can see it in the Telos / Omnia / Axia booth in the North Hall. Look for us in Booth N7726.

Subscribe to eNews

Get every issue of Telos, Omnia & Axia eNews in your mailbox! Click Here  to subscribe. (Don't worry - we hate SPAM and our mailing list stays private.)

* NEW PRODUCTS: The guys in R&D have really outdone themselves this year. Here's what we'll be unveiling at NAB:

- Telos Zephyr/IP (Z/IP for short) is our brand-new IP codec. Zephyr/IP lets you do remotes over IP links without QoS, like the public Internet, or mobile IP services. Thanks to ACT - Agile Connection Technology - Zephyr/IP continuously senses and adapts to network conditions. The result is that your IP remotes are more stable and better sounding, with less of the audible effects of packet loss, bandwidth variance and jitter. Z/IP comes standard with a very flexible I/O section that includes analog, AES/EBU and a Livewire connection that lets you plug directly into an Axia IP-Audio network. There's also a big, color VGA screen that's much more than just eye candy - there's context-sensitive onscreen help, graphical connection status with traceroute display, and a "buddy list" that makes use of Telos' ZIP Server service to keep track of and connect to frequently-accessed connections, even through NAT layers and DHCP servers.

- The Telos Zephyr iPort MPEG Gateway packs 8 MPEG codecs into a single 2RU box. Put one on each end of an IP network that has guaranteed QoS and you can transport multiple channels of bi-directional stereo audio on a single link. iPort has many different types of MPEG coding so you can optimize bandwidth for your specific audio type. There's MPEG AAC, aacPlus, MPEG Layer 2 & Layer 3, Low-Delay AAC, and AAC-HE+PS (High Efficiency + Perceptual Stereo), which testing shows is the most bit-efficient codec available today, allowing stereo operation down to 32kbps. To make things even easier, there's a Livewire Ethernet port, so all 8 channels of audio plus control can be connected to an Axia network with just one cable. (If you don't have Axia yet, you can use an Axia Analog Node or AES/EBU Node to break out the I/O.) iPort’s efficient use of Livewire I/O combined with multiple codecs in a single 2U device result in a low cost per channel compared to that of multiple single-channel codecs.

- Telos broadcast phone systems have been the industry standard for years. Our new Telos Nx12 Talkshow System may be our best-sounding system ever, thanks to brand-new platform designed from the ground up. Nx12 works with up to 12 phone lines, analog or digital. You can even have half analog/half digital phone lines if you like. Each of Nx12’s 4 hybrids is equipped with its own adjustable AGC and noise gate with algorithms developed by Omnia, plus our Digital Dynamic EQ™ and adaptive hybrid technology. You can run Nx12 as one 12-line phone system, or split it into two independent systems, each with its own program-on-hold input. And of course it plugs right into Livewire networks, too, along with AES3 and analog I/O.

- Omnia ONE is the new audio processor from Omnia. It's compact, with a 1RU chassis, but there's a whole lot packed inside. Right now we're shipping the Multicast version, which preconditions audio that's intended for coded-audio broadcasting, like HD multicasts, satellite broadcasting, DAB, DRM... the list goes on. That's just the beginning; an FM version will be coming your way soon too. And all for a price much lower than you'd expect for a processor with all of Onnia ONE's powerful features.

- Omnia.8X is truly something revolutionary. Inside its 2RU chassis are 8 - that's right, 8 - three-band stereo audio processors. Like our other new products, Omnia.8X is networked, with a Livewire interface. Which means that in a networked studio, you can use it for processing-on-demand. Need to process off-air headphone feeds? Use some of Omnia.8X's capacity. Let your production gurus use it when they need fine control over levels. Use some channels to sweeten phone callers, or to tighten up in-studio performances. What else could you use on-demand audio processing for? Lots of things, we imagine.

- Axia Element consoles, already well-known for their flexibility and power, now give you more options than ever. For one thing, Element now comes in new smaller sizes, thanks to our new Monitor Module that includes 2 faders. That means you can order a networked console with a full router interface with as few as 2 faders (or as many as 40, if you want). Perfect for places where you need large-console functionality in a small space. Like news studios, dubbing stations, voiceover booths, etc. Also, Element now comes in 3 different color schemes: Cool Gray, Bronze and Silver, to go with any studio decor. And there are new in-studio accessory panels for Element too; headphone selectors, mic control panels, producer panels and button panels that make it easy for talent to better control their broadcast environment even if they're not seated at the board.

- New Axia rackmount button panels let you map routing scene changes and machine logic controls to button panels that fit right into studio turrets. Using PathfinderPC software, you can use these film-legendable controllers to execute route changes, start and stop recording devices, control profanity delays and more.

- Last but not least, there's new Axia software to help control your broadcast plant. iProbe is network administration software for IP-Audio networks; it automatically finds all of your audio nodes, consoles, control panels, etc. and helps you keep track of system configuration, software versions, IP addresses and more; it even enables you to perform software updates on groups of devices all at once. And then there's PathfinderPC 4.0, which adds tons of cool new features to our popular routing control software, including such goodies as full control of Axia Element consoles' Virtual Mixer feature, and a Panel Designer GUI that lets you drag-and-drop to create custom-function button panels.

* CHURCH, FOTI & SACKS HOST BEC SESSIONS: Steve Church, Frank Foti and Marty Sacks will all be hosting session at the NAB's Broadcast Engineering Conference. Steve presents "Building Broadcast Audio on IP" April 14th at 11:30 AM; Frank talks about "Sonic Tonic for Audio Coding" on April 16th at 2PM; Marty presents "Packets Everywhere: How IP-Audio and Ethernet Are Transforming Modern Radio Facilities" on April 17th at 11:30AM. Check your NAB program guides for locations.

* 5.1 SURROUND DEMONSTRATION: Have you heard over-the-air discrete 5.1 broadcasting yet? You can if you visit the Telos / Omnia / Axia booth. Slide into the BMW sedan in our display to hear discrete surround, broadcast using Fraunhofer IIS' MPEG Surround system. Unlike systems that multiplex and muddy surround audio, smearing the audio imaging, the FhG system keeps the music discrete, for full, satisfying sound. We could tell you more about how great it sounds, but it's better if you hear it for yourself!

* STORIES FROM THE FIELD: Each day at NAB, we'll be presenting some real-world stories and experiences of Telos, Omnia and Axia users. We'll be interviewing some of broadcasting's best, and hearing their stories about remotes, processing, phones and networked audio. Plus, you'll get an in-depth look at Zephyr/IP, our new IP codec. Here's the schedule:

MONDAY:
-------

> 10 AM: Introducing the Zephyr IP (Z/IP), with Kirk Harnack

> 12 NOON: Andy Hollins of BBC Radio talks remotes with Zephyr Xstream and Xport
> 2 PM: Univision's Marty Scruggs talks about Axia audio networks
> 4 PM: Matt Aaron, engineer of the syndicated "Dave Ramsey Show" on Axia

TUESDAY:
--------

> 10 AM: Introducing the Zephyr IP (Z/IP), with Kirk Harnack

> 11 AM: Frank Foti discusses and demonstrates MPEG Surround
> 1 PM: Chuck Ide, from Clear Channel's Los Angeles cluster, talks about Series 2101
> 3 PM: Chris Alexander of Crawford Broadcasting chats about Omnia processing for AM

WEDNESDAY:
----------

> 10 AM: Introducing the Zephyr IP (Z/IP), with Kirk Harnack

> 11:30 AM: Charles Lelievre from Connoisseur Media on Telos hybrids and Axia
> 1 PM: Steve Church talks to CBS' Paul Donovan about MPEG surround broadcasts at WZLX
> 2 PM: Matt Aaron, engineer of the syndicated "Dave Ramsey Show" on Axia

We look forward to seeing you at the show!
 

eNews from Telos / Omnia / Axia, September, 2006

SEE YOU AT THE AES: We'll be attending several of the sessions at the upcoming AES convention in San Francisco, October 5 - 8. If you're going and you catch a glimpse of one of us, be sure to stop us and shake our hand!

Here's a list of the sessions we'll be presenting at:

* Frank Foti will speak at the LOUDNESS WORKSHOP, Thursday, October 5, 4:30 pm.
* Mike Uhl will be one of the presenters at the CONSIDERATIONS FOR FACILITY DESIGN session Thursday, October 5, 9 am.
* Rolf Taylor talks about AUDIO TRANSPORT OVER DISTANCE: PHONE, INTERNET, SATELLITE on Friday, October 6, 12:30 pm
* Frank Foti will give an audio presentation during the SURROUND SOUND FOR DIGITAL RADIO session, Friday, October 6, 3:00 pm
* Clark Novak will present at the BROADCASTING IN THE IP AGE session, Sunday, October 8, 9:00 am
 

Subscribe to eNews

Get every issue of Telos, Omnia & Axia eNews in your mailbox! Click Here  to subscribe. (Don't worry - we hate SPAM and our mailing list stays private.)

* A BIG WELCOME FOR MIKE UHL AND JIM ARMSTRONG: It's not every day that you get to welcome home two old friends, so we're doubly honored to have Mike Uhl and Jim Armstrong join the Telos / Omnia / Axia team. Mike Uhl, long known for his work at PR&E and SAS, says "It's time to replace all those BMX consoles. IP Audio is the most efficient and reliable method of studio infrastructure available." Mike will be the "go to" guy for stations West of the Mississippi for all Telos produc ts, including Omnia & Axia. Likewise, Jim Armstrong is well-known from his time spent as a representative for Burk, Gentner and SAS, and will be representing our gear East of the Mississippi. If you'd like to read the press releases about Mike and Jim, visit www.AxiaAudio.com/news/ . Drop 'em an e-mail and say "howdy" at jarmstrong@telos-systems.com  and mikeuhl@telos-systems.com  .


* KIRK HARNACK GOES INTERNATIONAL: If you've attended an SBE meeting lately, you've probably met Kirk Harnack: he's been tirelessly criss-crossing the US for the past several years telling people about Axia IP-Audio networks. Or you might know him from his former positions at VP/Engineering at Scott Studios... but one thing's for sure: you probably know him! Now, Kirk is taking on an even bigger role: that of Director of International Business Development for Telos, Omnia and Axia. "Our companies are all about helping broadcasters,” says Kirk says, “helping them produce more content – better content - and making it sound better. We're broadcasters ourselves. We've ‘been there, done that,’ and are still doing it today. Telos is a trusted name in broadcast telephony and codecs; Omnia is the most-requested audio processor brand, improving audio in radio, TV, cable, satellite, and Internet broadcasting; and Axia – using worldwide data standards – lets broadcasters route and mix audio and data in an efficient, unified IP system. I'm looking forward to talking with broadcasters around the world about these exciting technologies!” You can read more at www.AxiaAudio.com/news/pr/2006_harnack.htm, or drop him an e-mail at kharnack@telos-systems.com  .


* NEWS FROM THE FIELD: Who's getting new gear?

Zephyr Xstream (www.telos-systems.com/zephyr/) does great-sounding remotes on:
- Sirius Satellite Radio, New York
- WKFS / WVMX, Cincinnati, OH
- KZLA, Los Angeles, CA
- Salem Radio Networks, Irving, TX
- WDTJ / WCHB, Detroit, MI
- WOGL, Philadelphia, PA
- WSCR, Chicago, IL

Omnia for AM (www.OmniaAudio.com/am.htm) powers up on:
- WOKY, Milwaukee, WI
- WJCP, Austin, IN
- WRIN, Lafayette, IN

Series 2101 (www.telos-systems.com/2101/) commands the phones at:
- WSB, Atlanta, GA
- ABC/Disney Radio, Arlington, TX

New Axia studios (www.AxiaAudio.com) on the air at:
- WZLX, Boston, MA
- WSRS, Worcester, MA
- Vibe 105, Rhythm Radio 95.1, Inspirational 730 & Sangeet 106.1,
Port of Spain,Trinidad
- WUCF, Orlando, FL

* TECH TIPS: SAVING MONEY ON ISDN LINES
David H. Lacey writes: "I'm wondering if it's possible to save on charges for ISDN codec use by using ISDN PRI. I've seen some office PBX systems that can be configured to provide ISDN 2B+D on the station side. I also recall seeing some Adtran products, larger shelves or frames, that would sit on one or more ISDN PRIs and take cards to split out the service in various fashions. I'm looking to use these 'derived' ISDN lines with ISDN Codecs from Telos."

Our Rolf Taylor responds: The answer is 'probably yes.' What I mean by that is that the concept is sound, it has been done before, but that there are a few possible snags that you need to know about going forward, so be sure to plan carefully.

THE POTENTIAL FOR SAVINGS

There are several potential ways to save money with your proposal, depending on how this is implemented.

• One PRI (23 B + D) is nearly always cheaper than 11 BRIs (2 B +D)

• You may decide to include some "concentration" in the design. For example you may decide to have more BRI ports than 11. This means that at times you could run out of B channels on the PRI, so this must be thought through. However, sometimes a given codec only need one B channel, so this approach is not to be ruled out. Just make sure you don't go overboard.

• If you use the PBX approach (see below) you can share 1 or more PRIs between not only the codecs, but also other PBX voice traffic. For example, if you currently have a PBX with a single PRI, adding a second PRI to the PBX and connecting the codecs to the PBX gives additional PBX capacity that adds to overall flexibility.

• If you get the PRI directly from a Long Distance vendor, you will get a much better per-minute rate (this is because with a normal phone line the LD company must pay the LEC a fee for their portion of handling LD calls. In the case of a direct line to the LD carrier they do not have to pay this fee and can pass the savings to you). Just make sure that you will be able to make *local* calls at a reasonable rate if using this approach.

• You can combine the two approach to savings. If the PBX is currently connected to a PRI from a LEC, and you add a PRI from a LD company, and program the PBX properly to route local vs LD the traffic accordingly, you can save in both ways.
  
  Just don't forget that whoever will be the LD carrier for your codec calls (e.g. Circuit Switched Data) must be able handle this type of traffic. Generally you are limited to MCI and Sprint in this case. You should be able to negotiate a single per minute rate for both voice and data calls (AT&T can handle the CSD calls, but you are billed by a completely different division for these calls and unlike the other carriers the rates are not the same for the two types of calls).

APPROACHES

There are two basic approaches, as David mentions:

* PBX approach. Many digital PBXes can provide BRI ports off of the PBX. The advantage to this approach is that it makes concentration, if desired, much easier to accomplish. Upgrading the PBX may (but not necessarily) be cheaper than buying seperate integration device. Plus management may be easier, particularly if you are already comfortable managing the PBX in question. Telos customers have reported success using the following (your results may vary, and programming can be a bear, see "details" below).

- AT&T/Lucent/Avaya Definity
- AT&T Merlin Legend
- Nortel Meridian Option 11
- Siemens Hicom 150e

* "Integration device." I can't think of a better term for these. These are dedicated boxes that can convert multiple a PRI into multiple BRI's (or sometimes even multiple BRI or a T1 into a PRI).Telos customers have reported success using the following (your results may vary, see "details" below).

- Adtran Atlas (this is not a single product but a series of plug ins for a card frame. You will need to discuss your application with Adtran)
- Ascend Max 2T

Of course a small used PBX such as the Siemens 150e might be cheaper than an integration device. Obviously a small PBX could be used purely as a dedicated integration device. Also this scenario could be used to create some redundancy to the PBX.

DETAILS

The ISDN BRI physical Interface can be the S interface (4 wire interface) or the U interface (2 wire interface). The U interface is what the Telco normally provides since it can be run as far as 18,000 feet. Codecs sold in the USA all support the U interface by default. The S interface is typiclaly used outside the USA and Canada. There is no way to convert an S interface signal into a U interface (though an NT1 can convert a U into an S) so if your PBX or Integration device only supports the S interface make sure your codecs support this interface.

Telos Zephyrs nearly all support both the S and U interface (those that don't support the S interface can be connected to a U interface using an NT1).

Both the S and U interfaces are quite well standardized and robust. The low level physical interface is virtually never the source of compatibility concern (other than making sure you both support the same one).

ISDN protocols: In the USA the ISDN "Layer 3 signaling protocols" are all extremely complicated (more so than needed). Therefore many non-Telco implementations are sub-sets rather than full implementations. This can be a source of compatibility concerns. Terminal Adaptor and Codec manufacturers cannot guarantee that their equipment will be compatible with any particular piece of PBX or Integration device.

In actuality, our experience has been that most PBXs are compatible with Telos equipment, assuming they are programmed properly. That is the biggest problem: Even the 2nd and 3rd tier support people at most PBX vendors don't know much about ISDN (most don't even know what an IOC/ISDN Order Code package is). You already know that your codecs work on a variety of lines and are not the source of difficulties. But getting every last setting on the PBX set correctly can be arduous.

If your PBX vendor assures you they can "get the ISDN up and running easily" you may want to get a quote versus having them do it as a time and materials job. Also, don't believe their compatibility claims until you test the PBX with your ISDN terminal equipment (e.g. codecs)

Protocol details: Most PBXs claim compatibility with the "National ISDN-1" standard. They will provide 2 SPIDS and 2 DN/phone numbers (usually DID numbers) per BRI port. Some only support the "AT&T Custom" protocol. This protocol does not require SPIDs but it has only a single DN. With this protocol callers will not be able to directly access a codec "line": The first call will always go to B1 unless it is busy, in which case the call rolls over to B2. If you tend to use your codec as a "split" codec you will want to be sure the PBX or integration device supports National ISDN-1.

OTHER ISSUES

• PRI can have any number of DID (Direct Inward Dial) numbers. You should be able to program either type of system to route calls to specific BRI ports by telephone number.

• In some cases we have run across fractional PRIs with less than 23 B channels. If you need less than 23 this *may* be an option. You will need to program your PBX or integration device properly so that outbound calls choose from active channels only.

The above options are worth considering for your on-air talkshow systems as well. The advantages to putting your on-air system on your PBX are fairly obvious. But the disadvantages of doing this with PBX analog ports can be significant. For example, most PBXs don't support far-end-drop supervision, meaning that when callers on hold hang up dial tone can end up on air. Plus the usual problems with POTS such as glare (where a line about to ring in is seized and you get a caller instead of dial tone) and slow signaling in general. D channel signaling offers significant advantages. This is one reason Telos developed the TWOx12 ISDN model.

Got a question for Tech Tips? Email us. Of course we answer all questions, but if we use yours in eNews, we'll send you some cool Telos/Omnia/Axia swag too.


* COOL BROADCAST LINK: For those of us that grew up during the Golden Age of television, nothing brings the memories flooding back like an old commercial jingle. Remember The Fifth Dimension for Jell-O? Bobby Short doing Charlie perfume ads? The Monkees for Kool-Aid? Check 'em all out and more at Classic TV Ads (www.roadode.com/classicindex.shtml). And have a Faygo Root Beer on us.
 

eNews from Telos / Omnia / Axia, June, 2006

* THE DAVE RAMSEY SHOW ADDS A NEW ELEMENT: Well-known financial talk host Dave Ramsey (www.daveramsey.com) is the latest to choose Axia IP-Audio networking to power his studios. Dave's recent multi-city deal with Cumulus Media was the perfect reason for a studio upgrade, and Axia IP-Audio technology, along with an Element modular studio controller, turned out to be the perfect fit. The new console hit the air on June 15th (check out the cool custom show logo on the Element display screen - a neat capability possessed by every Element console). Axia Element control surfaces are scalable from 4 to 40 faders and offer a host of customizable functions designed to make life easier and more error-free for jocks and board operators. Check out www.AxiaAudio.com/surfaces/ for more information.

Subscribe to eNews

Get every issue of Telos, Omnia & Axia eNews in your mailbox! Click Here  to subscribe. (Don't worry - we hate SPAM and our mailing list stays private.)

* MARTY SACKS RETURNS! It's always good to welcome back a familiar face. Marty Sacks, formerly National Sales Director for Telos / Omnia from 1999 - 2003, has returned to the family after spending time at ERI and Radio Ink. Marty fills the new Vice President's post at our Axia division, where he'll be overseeing the explosive growth Axia has been experiencing. Says Marty, “Axia is the fastest growing console company in the industry…It's wonderful to be back!” drop him a line at marty@AxiaAudio.com  .


* CONSUMER REPORTS BROADCASTING CHOOSES ZEPHYR XSTREAM: Ernie Sprance at Consumer Reports TV News tells us they've purchased three Zephyr Xstream MX ISDN codecs to link their auto test track in Connecticut with their studios in Yonkers, New York and offices in Washington DC. Ernie says that using Zephyrs with built-in mixers will let them quickly produce interviews and reports without having to build full studios. We love it when folks think "out of the box"! Find out what Zephyr can do at www.telos-systems.com/zephyr/ .


* NEWS FROM THE FIELD: Who's getting new gear?

Zephyr Xport is on the line at:
- Sirius Satellite Radio, New York
- KUPD, Phoenix, AZ
- Korean Christian Broadcasting, New York
- Major League Baseball Radio, New York

ProFiler is now logging audio at:
- WINS, New York
- KTRU, Houston, TX
- Clear Channel, Pensacola, FL
- WCBM, Baltimore, MD

Omnia-6EX sounds great on:
- WLTQ, Sarasota, FL
- WIFE, Cincinnati, OH
- WCDX, Richmond, VA
- KOMR, Phoenix, AZ
- KZWY, Sheridan, WY
- WNUA, Chicago, IL

New Axia studios on the air at:
- Canada Satellite Radio
- WUOT, Knoxville, TN
- KOOP, Austin, TX
- WUCF, Orlando, FL

* TECH TIPS: "Can my Zephyr Xport talk to my Classic Zephyr?"

David Kalb of Wichita, Kansas asks "I just bought a Zephyr Xport POTS+ISDN codec. I know it'll talk to Zephyr Xstreams, but can I connect with my classic [black-faced] Zephyr, too?"

Sure, can, Dave. In fact, Xport is very flexible and can talk to many different codecs, not just Zephyr, since Xport is capable of outputting G.722 audio streams. Here's how:

1. First, make sure your Xport has the latest software, which is Version 2.0.2p. If not, go to www.telos-systems.com/support/ and download the update package.

2. Follow the instructions at http://tinyurl.com/oobsqto update your Xport. (PDF viewer required)

3. Once your Xport is updated, you can connect with any other G.722 codec - including another Zephyr Xport.

Got a question for Tech Tips? Email us at cnovak@AxiaAudio.com. Of course we answer all questions, but if we use yours in eNews, we'll send you some cool Telos/Omnia/Axia swag too.

* COOL BROADCAST LINK: How many of us cut our teeth in electronics assembling a big box of parts from Heathkit? For a lot of us, it was almost a rite of passage. The Heathkit Virtual Museum (www.heathkit-museum.com) takes you down memory lane with pictures, articles and histories of the Heath company and the thousands of products they made over 40+ years. Seems like just yesterday I was nursing my burnt fingers and wiping spattered flux off the kitchen table...

eNews from Telos / Omnia / Axia, January, 2006

* OMNIA ON WLS...: When a station like ABC Radio's WLS chooses your audio processor over all the others on the market, folks take notice! The legendary Chicagoland station (www.wlsam.com) is using an Omnia-5EX HD+AM audio processor, and Warren Schulz likes it a lot. "Having the ability to affect audio processing with such great detail in control is a huge benefit. With Omnia-5EX, WLS is the king of the hill.” Maybe your AM could benefit by upgrading to Omnia? Visit www.omniaaudio.com/am.htm to read more.

Subscribe to eNews

Get every issue of Telos, Omnia & Axia eNews in your mailbox! Click Here  to subscribe. (Don't worry - we hate SPAM and our mailing list stays private.)

*...AND ON KLZ: Another Omnia success story from the Mile High City, where Crawford Broadcasting's KLZ (www.z560.com) has also upgraded to Omnia as part of their HD Radio conversion -- Omnia-5EX HD+AM is the world's only AM audio processor that's ready for HD Radio, with two simultaneous processing paths (one for analog AM, the other for HD). Chief Engineer Ed Dulaney told us “Everyone that has heard our AM HD Radio signal says it sounds as good or better than FM!” People love to talk about their Omnias - read more client comments at www.omniaaudio.com/buzz/ .

* BSI BECOMES AXIA PARTNER: The latest delivery system provider to become an Axia partner is BSI, makers of Simian and WaveCart playout software. This means that BSI clients with an Axia audio network can use our IP-Audio Driver to stream content directly from their playout PCs to the routing network via Ethernet - without multiple sound cards, D/A conversions, or multi-cable connections. BSI is just the latest in a growing list of Axia partners; click www.axiaaudio.com/partners/ to see the full list.

* 300,000 PHONE CALLS!: That's how many connection attempts were placed to Howard Stern's toll-free line on his first day at Sirius Satellite Radio. 130,000 of those in the first hour alone! Luckily, Sirius uses a Telos Series 2101 Multi-Studio Talkshow System. The 2101 system plugs right into T-1 and E-1 digital lines, allowing management of up to 120 incoming call circuits across as many as 32 studios. Mike Schweizer of Improbable Missions Force was on hand, and he told us that the 2101 was definitely up to the task, even in the face of what he called "crushing" call volume. Read the whole story at http://tinyurl.com/a6u94 .

* NEWS FROM THE FIELD: Who's getting new gear? Here's a sample of some recent orders:

New Telos broadcast phone systems are on air at:
- WMXD, Detroit (TWOx12 12-Line Talkshow System)
- WDNQ, Huntington, West Virginia) (ONE-x-Six Six-Line Talkshow System)
- KPLA, Columbia, Missouri (ONE-x-Six Six-Line Talkshow System)
- KKFR, Phoenix (TWOx12 12-Line Talkshow System)

Telos ProFiler is now logging broadcasts at:
- KHTK, Sacramento
- KFAN, Minneapolis
- WDHA/WMTR, Somerset, New Jersey
- WDOK, Cleveland

Omnia audio processing pumps up the volume at:
- KBCO, Denver (Omnia-6EXi HD+FM)
- KRCL, Salt Lake City (Omnia-6EXi HD+FM)
- WENN, Birmingham, Alabama (Omnia-6EXi HD+FM)
- WPKE, Pikesville, Kentucky (Omnia-3AM)

Axia IP-Audio technology is now powering studios at:
- Radio Free Asia, Bangkok
- KWMU, University of Missouri, St. Louis
- Minnesota Public Radio, Saint Paul, Minnesota
- KINV/KDOS, Univision Radio, Austin, Texas

* TELOS, OMNIA, AXIA ON THE ROAD: We're planning now for a few road trips in 2006. Here's what's lined up so far:

• Frank Foti and Kirk Harnack will be attending (along with Radio Systems President, Dan Braverman), an Open House & Technical Session Day at Radio Systems, 601 Heron Drive, Logan Township, New Jersey on February 2nd. Want to come? Phone 856-467-8000 for information.

• Kirk Harnack will make a presentation on MPEG Surround at the St. Louis, MO, SBE Chapter 55 meeting on Thursday,  January 26th (www.broadcast.net/~sbe55).

• See us at CABSAT 2006 in Dubai, March 7 - 9 in the Tek Signals booth, Hall C8-11 (www.cabsat.com)

* TECH TIP - USING A TELOS HYBRID OVER GSM: This week's Tech Tip comes from one Ali Rasheed in Abu Dhabi: "How do I connect a Telos ONE or Telos TWO telephone hybrid to a GSM network?"

--->ANSWER: There are some interesting third-party devices to emulate dial tone that could work (please note that Telos has not tested or approved these devices). Voice quality will depend on the type of network you obtain service from.

Many of these devices act as a cradle for the cell phone and then generate a "telephone line like" signal that could ring a few phones around the house. One is called "CellSocket" (www.cellsocket.com), and is compatible with mostly Motorola phones.

A similar product called "Dock and Talk" (www.phonelabs.com) covers Sony, Siemens, Nokia, Motorola and Ericsson handsets). This seems to be a more current product and as such seems to support more phones and may be more likely to add phones in the future.

A company called "Telular" (www.telular.com/products/) makes a device that acts like a cell phone but wires up to corded phone in a similar way. However, this would count as a separate cell phone and therefore would have to be activated separately. This is a much more professional setup for use in sound/TV trucks, but be aware that the basic limitations still apply.

NOTE: Digital cell "dial tone" systems will not work with modems or faxes (and no, you cannot use your Telos Zephyr Xport with these either), but "dial tone" derived from analog (AMPS) cellular service *will* work with modems and fax machines.

Got a question for Tech Tips? E-mail it to clark@telos-systems.com .If we use it in eNews, I'll send you a new Telos, Omnia or Axia T-shirt.

* BROADCAST LINK OF THE WEEK: Our first news item above, regarding WLS, put us in mind of one of our favorite websites: www.wlshistory.com , created by well-known Chicago voiceover artist Scott Childers. The site traces WLS' history from its sign-on in 1924 by original owners Sears, Roebuck through the Top 40 days to the inception of the News/Talk format. Lots of sound bites, too!

eNews from Telos / Omnia / Axia, October, 2005

* REGARDING THE FUTURE OF RECORDED MUSIC: There are probably a lot of you reading this who have by now caught the Surround bug. Here at Telos / Omnia / Axia, it seems nearly all of us have, Telos founder and CEO Steve Church among the first. Forthwith, some related observations from Steve:

"If you were at NAB, or if you have been following the heated debates in the pages of Radio World, you know that we are strongly in favor of a high-quality non-matrix surround system for HD Radio. And with good reason: not only does surround audio offer an intensely immersive listener experience, it seems surround may soon be getting more consumer attention. Rumors are flying that MTV will soon launch an HDTV music channel. How much do you want to bet that it will include Dolby Digital 5.1 sound? You figure that MTV might not be shy to promote this feature?

"You see all those "home theater in a box" audio systems in the shops? There is probably soon going to be a surround broadcast music source to feed them. This will be the first time in our lifetimes that TV will have significantly better audio than radio. This also means that music is going to be near universally produced in surround.

"Which leads me to wonder: what’s the point of CDs? DVD players cost less than CD players these days, and the disks cost about the same to produce. You get both video and your choice of stereo or surround audio. Much of the generation raised on MTV think something is missing if they don’t get pictures with their audio. Record companies are waking up to this. Music DVDs are a strong category among both buyers and renters. The introduction of the DualDisk (CD on one side, DVD on the other) may well be the first step to an eventual transition to an all-DVD music distribution format.

"But it won’t be with today’s DVD system. Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are about to happen, and one of these will probably become tomorrow’s music carrier. They have plenty of capacity to support both hi-def audio and video. Audio-only players could be programmed to pick out the audio part, while a video player could get at all of the material. A single disc for all purposes, MTV generation-friendly, without the hassle of the two sides. But more important to the record biz - with tight anti-piracy protection. And presumably a justification for a price jump."

For those of you who’ve caught the surround bug and are looking for cool stuff, Steve’s latest recommendations are: "Over and Out" on the Foo Fighters "In Your Honor" DVD bonus disc and "The Sound of Muzak" on Porcupine Tree’s "In Absentia" DVD-Audio. Both are surround mixes by Elliott Scheiner, who seemingly can do no wrong. Frank Foti likes the latest Mark Knopfler release, "Sailing to Philadelphia." And the 20th Anniversary CD/DVD release of Dire Straits' "Brothers In Arms" is a favorite of Mike Dosch.

Subscribe to eNews

Get every issue of Telos, Omnia & Axia eNews in your mailbox! Click Here  to subscribe. (Don't worry - we hate SPAM and our mailing list stays private.)

* MULTICAST IS EVERYWHERE: Multicast is surely the main HD Radio focus at the moment and we have a new Omnia processor made to order for it. Bits are being sliced pretty thin for these additional multicast channels, and you need all the help you can get from the processor to make them sound good. We’ve been doing a lot of research into this topic, combining forces from our Telos codec engineers and the processing tweakers from the Omnia side. The result is Sensus, a technology that anticipates what the HD codec will do and adapts the processing to best deal with it. There’s a lot of power in this combined "codec conditioner" and dynamics processor. You can order the new Omnia Multicast with Sensus right now: the Omnia part number is 2001-00191 and the list price is $4,310.00 (US MSRP). Omnia Multicast begins shipping December 9, 2005. Read more about it at http://tinyurl.com/d95fn .

* MORE AM STATIONS UPGRADE TO OMNIA: More and more stations upgrade to Omnia processing every week, especially AM stations, who are finding that advanced Omnia processing tech helps them reclaim lost fidelity and punch on their AM signals. The latest: WGAC-AM in Augusta, Georgia; KCMN in Colorado Springs and KLZ, Denver all upgraded to Omnia-5EX HD+AM processors, and WDSR, Lake City, Florida, got a shiny new Omnia-3AM. Want to know more about Omnia for AM? Go to www.omniaaudio.com/am.htm .

* SEE AXIA AT BOS-CON: With new Axia studios coming on-line in New York City, Southern California and Dallas, Texas, more and more broadcasters are learning about the advantages of Axia IP-Audio networks. Visitors to the SBE National Convention and Broadcast Equipment Expo in Dallas this week saw demonstrations of a full Axia studio featuring the new Element Control Surface; next week, you can see Element at Bos-Con 2005 in Boston, beginning Tuesday, October 25th. Swing by our booth with a coffee for Axia's Kirk Harnack, who can use some caffeine to deal with his mega-case of jet lag.

* AXIA IS A BIG HIT IN CANADA: You've probably heard about the huge Axia "showcase studio" installation at Newcap's new Edmonton Mall studios. Broadcast Dialogue has printed a feature story about these beautiful new studios in their September issue; if you missed it, you can read Newcap Engineer Doug Mattice's first-person account of this major studio project at http://tinyurl.com/crmqa , or download a PDF copy to print and share from www.axiaaudio.com/news/ .

* WHAT'S MEDIAFLO, AND WHY SHOULD I CARE? In case you hadn't noticed, technology is making it possible for people to receive entertainment in more places, more of the time, than ever before. In addition to Apple's recent annoucement of an iPod with video capabilities, Qualcomm has just made waves with the news of their MediaFLO technology, that will send audio and video to cell phones. At first blush, this sounds like more competition for traditional broadcasters... but is it? Read Steve Church's Guest Commentary at Radio World Online entitled "MediaFLO: Yet Another Rival?" for another perspective. It's at http://tinyurl.com/9rn5y .

* TECH TIP - AXIA GPIO: This week's Tech Tip comes from one of our readers, Garrett Wood of WJCT-FM in Jacksonville, Florida: "Howdy guys, just wanted to pass on something I think is pretty cool. I’ve been tossing around some ideas about how to distribute the Axia GPIO connections. I couldn’t come up with much other than using a krone block; they make a 10-pair mini-block that is 110 punch compatible now. Figured I would wire one DB15 per mini-block and locate near the equipment that needed the closures. I was about to order some when Larry at Balsys and he mentioned the Winford breakouts. Have you seen them?

http://www.winfordeng.com/products/brk15.php

"In my situation I basically need the DB15's to end up in different locations spread throughout my millwork and a couple of racks. My thought is that the Winford really suits that type of distribution as it accommodates each DB15 individually. (There's also a new StudioHub breakout for the Axia GPIO that looks perfect for bringing out all the connections to ONE specific location.) By using these I’m still able to keep the soldering iron COLD for yet another part of this install. I can use pre-made DB15 to DB15 cables to connect from Axia to the breakouts, then make up whatever short cable I need to hit the device from the breakout. Pretty cool!"

We'll be sending Garrett a Telos / Axia T-Shirt as a "thank you" for his submission. Got a Tech Tip of your own for Telos, Omnia or Axia gear? E-mail it to clark@telos-systems.com, and if we use it in eNews, I'll send you a new T-shirt, too.

* BROADCAST LINK OF THE WEEK: If you're a phone system freak like many of us are (that's freak, not phreak), check out Albert LaFrance's tribute to the Bell System's Long Distance network at www.long-lines.net . There's lots of historical information and photos about the L1/L3 coax networks, the radio repeater networks, much from AT&T's own publications, and off-site links to microwave data as well. Cool stuff! Props to Bob Gonsett of the CGC Communicator for passing along this link

eNews from Telos / Omnia / Axia, September, 2005

****************************************************
SPECIAL HURRICANE RELIEF ISSUE
****************************************************

By now we've all seen pictures of the devastation of America's Gulf Coast caused by Hurricane Katrina. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this tragedy. The monetary cost is estimated to be in the billions of dollars, but the human cost can't begin to be measured.

As always, radio and TV are among the first to respond in times of calamity. Below is a list of some of the resources and special assistance available to broadcasters and the general public.

----------

* The Society of Broadcast Engineers is helping to match up broadcasters in need with those who have the ability to help. SBE members affected by Katrina can e-mail hurricanehelp@sbe.org or call (317) 846-9092 with their needs; SBE members who can supply shelter, clothing and/or needed parts for damaged equipment should contact SBE at the same e-mail address. Website: www.sbe.org

* CPB, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, has $500,000 in grants available to non-commercial stations affected by the hurricane. These funds are available _immediately_ for emergency repairs and generator fuel. Contact CPB directly at (202) 879-9600. Website: www.cpb.org

* The National Association of Broadcasters has teamed with the American Red Cross, and has radio and TV PSAs for disaster relief available for stations wishing to air them. Radio PSAs of :10- to :30-second duration can be downloaded directly from www.nab.org/publicservice/Relief/ ; TV stations can get a free overnight dub of video PSAs by e-mailing Sarah Roberts at sroberts@nab.org .

* The FCC's Media Bureau has temporarily changed some of its normal procedures to help broadcasters knocked off the air by Katrina resume service. FM and TV stations in the affected area can erect temporary towers without prior FCC authorization. AM stations can resume broadcasting using single-wire horizontal or vertical antennas or non-directional vertical elements of directional arrays. Temporary authority requests can be submitted by e-mail. Many filing and regulatory deadlines have also been extended. See the FCC homepage at www.fcc.gov for a complete list of special procedures.

* Many broadcasters have joined with the American Red Cross (www.redcross.org) to raise funds for disaster relief. Stations who want to put a Red Cross donation banner on their websites can get them from www.redcross.org/psa/bannerorder/index_GenDS.html .

* FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Administration, has posted a web page listing 23 certified charitable organizations accepting donations of cash and/or volunteer labor for the relief effort, which may be useful for stations passing information to their listeners. Web link: www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=18473

* Information on obtaining Federal assistance for citizens affected by the disaster is available online at http://disasterhelp.gov . This site includes a "friends and family registry" that can assist in reuniting friends and loved ones separated during the storm.

eNews from Telos / Omnia / Axia, August, 2005

* "YOU WON'T FIND MULTIPAIR HERE": That's the name of the article Buckley Broadcasting's VP of Engineering, Tom Ray, wrote about his new Axia-powered studios at New York City's WOR Radio (www.wor710.com). "The WOR analog signal sounds great. The WOR-HD signal sounds fantastic. It appears that the Axia SmartSurface and Livewire system was a good choice for WOR," says Tom, whose Radio World article also talks about the lack of multipair cabling, multiple automatic mix-minus generation, and how he built an entire production studio single-handedly in just 6 hours. You can read the rest at www.axiaaudio.com/news/AxiaRWUS072005.pdf (PDF viewer required).

Subscribe to eNews

Get every issue of Telos, Omnia & Axia eNews in your mailbox! Click Here  to subscribe. (Don't worry - we hate SPAM and our mailing list stays private.)

* AND EVEN MORE ABOUT WOR: When a story's this big, everybody covers it! Radio featured WOR on the cover of its July issue, wherein Tom Ray notes that "With the ability to route data, we should be able to start taking advantage of Program Associated Data in the near future." Didn't catch it? Browse to http://beradio.com/systemintegration/radio_redefining_heritage/ and take a look at more WOR studio pictures.

* UPGRADE YOUR OMNIA TO "EXI": Omnia's new "EXi" audio processing is a serious hit. Here are a couple of comments we've gotten lately: "I knew the Omnia would make a difference, but Holy Cow! I never expected it would make THAT MUCH difference!" "I've never heard anything else that could get the low end so massive and the high end so clear at the same time." Part of the "EXi" secret is Omnia's exclusive new LoIMD Clipper that kills IMD distortion, so you can crank it up and keep it clean, too. "EXi" also adds integrated Diversity Delay for HD Radio(tm) broadcasters. New "EXi" processors have been shipping for several weeks; any Omnia-6, Omnia-5 or Omnia-4.5 can be upgraded to "EXi" status as well. Just e-mail support@omniaaudio.com to find out more.

* AXIA PATHFINDER PC v3.10 RELEASED: PathfinderPC users, take note: Version 3.10 has just been released and is available for download. This new version adds the ability to have PathfinderPC send an e-mail alert for any event you choose, and also adds automatic database backup to prevent hair-tearing moments. You can find the download link (and links to all other Axia software downloads) at www.axiaaudio.com/downloads/ .

* TWOx12 GETS USER RAVES: There's been a lot of praise flying lately for the Telos TWOx12 12-line talkshow system. Maybe you saw this one on the boards: "I've got four [TWOx12's]... The "Assistant Producer" software and the Ethernet TCP/IP interface on the TWOx12 is very slick. I can see and even control the talk studio phone systems from my engineering office computer. More impressive, you can take your talk show on the road or have a remote host, via ISDN, for example, and they can connect to the studio TWOx12 via an Internet connected computer and remotely put calls on the air and send and receive text messages too." Could TWOx12 help solve your on-air phone troubles? Read more at www.Telos-Systems.com/2x12/ .

* RHYTHME FM GETS NEOWINNERS: Canadian broadcaster Cogeco Radio-Television's Rhythme FM stations (www.rythmefm.com) will soon be organizing their contests and tracking winner data with NeoWinners Contest Management Software. NeoWinners lets you schedule contests for multiple stations using a cool drag-and-drop interface, stores winner data (phone number, name, prizes won and more), keep track of prize stocks, automatically generate winner lists, and much more. And NeoWinners stores its contest and winner data in a centralized, networked database, so there's never a question about who won what or when. NeoWinners can even integrate with Telos TWOx12 and Series 2101 multi-line phone systems. Find out more at www.telos-systems.com/winners/ .

* TELOS / OMNIA / AXIA ON THE ROAD: Meet us at these upcoming events:

• BIRTV, at the China International Exposition Center in Beijing, 25 - 28 August (www.birtv.com/english/about.asp)

• IBC 2005 in The Netherlands at the Amsterdam RAI, 9 - 13 September in the Nautel booth, Stand 8.360 (www.ibc.org)

• The NAB Radio Show, September 21 - 23 in the Philadelphia Convention Center. We'll be with Broadcaster's General Store, Booth 112 (www.nab.org)

• The 119th AES Convention, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, 7 - 10 October (www.aes.org)

• The Dallas SBE 2005 Broadcast Engineering Expo, October 19 & 20 (www.sbe67.org)

• See Kirk Harnack's Axia demonstration at Bos-Con 2005 in Marlborough, MA on October 25 & 26 (www.bos-con.com)

• We'll also be at these upcoming local SBE meetings:
  - New Orleans Chapter 72, August 17th (www.sbe72.org)
  - Washington, DC Chapter 37, September 13th (www.sbe37.org)
  - Denver Chapter 48, September 29th (www.smpte-sbe48.org)
  - Detroit Chapter 82, October 7th (http://broadcast.net/~sbe82)

* TECH TIP - ZEPHYR XSTREAM: Question: "I just connected my new Zephyr Xstream to Ethernet and I'm trying to use its web remote control, but it keeps asking for a password. I've looked in the manual, and there's no mention of a password. What's up?"

---> ANSWER: Sorry... our goof. Originally, Zephyr Xstream's webserver wasn't password-protected, but we soon realized that it ought to be! Unfortunately, the manual gnomes haven't got round to updating the paperwork. The password is "Telos" (without the quotes, of course). Our apologies for the confusion.

* BROADCAST LINK OF THE WEEK: We've all got big, feature-rich software audio-editing packages in our production rooms. But sometimes you only need a basic editor for a news or dubbing station, or for the PD's desktop computer. And you don't want to pay another software license fee (we're all running SPA-legal shops, right?). If this sounds familiar, you may find the free open-source Audacity software a good fit. It's available for Windows, Mac OS 9 and OS X platforms, and for Linux/UNIX users, and has some expensive-software features like large-file support, individual sample waveform editing, hum/hiss removal, FFT filtering, and support for file resolutions up to 96 kHz/32-bit. You'll find it at http://audacity.sourceforge.net .

eNews from Telos / Omnia / Axia, July, 2005

* TECHNOLOGY IS GOOD, PROFIT IS REALLY GOOD: Conclave 2004 begins this week on the 21st of July in the Twin Cities. If you have folks from Programming or Operations attending, be sure to remind them that they can get the whole scoop on HD Radio at Frank Foti's Conclave session with Don Kelly and Dave Robbins, entitled "Begin The Revolution: HD Radio For Fun And Profit." Frank and his co-hosts will give your programming people a thorough understanding of what HD Radio is and what it isn't, and how they can use HD Radio to increase listenership and revenue. And Frank will demonstrate HD Surround in all its glory! The two-part session takes place Friday, July 22; visit www.theconclave.com for more details.

Subscribe to eNews

Get every issue of Telos, Omnia & Axia eNews in your mailbox! Click Here  to subscribe. (Don't worry - we hate SPAM and our mailing list stays private.)

* MANUAL LABOR: The gnomes have been hard at work updating User's Manuals for Telos and Omnia products. Omnia-6 owners will find a manual update which includes information on the new Omnia-6EXi models with integrated HD Radio Diversity Delay and LoIMD Clipper. For Omnia-3 owners, the updated manual includes all Omnia-3 models: FM, AM, NET (for coded audio applications such as the Web, satellite transmission or HD Radio Multichannel streams) and FM Turbo. You'll find these new manuals at www.omniaaudio.com/support/manuals.htm .

We've also got updated manuals for owners of the Telos Series 2101 Multi-Studio Talkshow System. The PDF files are available for one-at-a-time download or in a ZIP file from www.telos-systems.com/support/manuals.htm . Don't forget, you'll need Acrobat Viewer (since our manuals are provided in PDF format).

* NEW PROFILER CLIENT SOFTWARE: Telos ProFiler, the automated program archiving software, is rapidly becoming broadcasters' favorite way to keep audio logs of their programming. "We use ProFiler as a backup recorder as well as for logging and skimming, and it's saved us a few times," says Erick Steinberg, CE at San Francisco's KFOG. And others agree: ProFiler is priced much more affordably than those hardware recorders, can archive multiple streams at once, and works on any standard Windows PC. If you already own ProFiler, download the new ProFiler Client Player v2.09 from www.telos-systems.com/profiler/ - just click on the "Download" link on the sidebar. If you don't have ProFiler and are looking for a logging solution, visit www.telos-systems.com/profiler/ to find out how ProFiler can help you.

* FREE BITRATE CALCULATOR UTILITY: We've just released an updated version of our Telos Bitrate Calculator. It's a handy little Windows applet that computes MP3 storage needs, data rate, and running time from the other two characteristics; for instance, if you're a Telos ProFiler user, this calculator will tell you how many days' worth of logged audio you can fit onto a given hard-drive space based upon the MP3 compression ratio you've chosen. It's also helpful for determining the MP3 bitrate needed to fit audio onto a given storage medium (for instance, a floppy disk or CD-ROM). Version 1.3 can now handle drive storage sized up to an exabyte, will calculate store audio time for an unlimited number of days. Download it for free from the "Download" link at www.telos-systems.com/profiler/ .

* NEW SERIES 2101 SOFTWARE UPDATE PACKAGE: Telos Series 2101 owners can download a brand new software updater package. Some of our clients mentioned problems using the previous software updater; those issues have been fixed in this new version. You can download the new updater from www.telos-systems.com/support/software.htm ; as always, we recommend contacting Telos support at support@telos-systems.com (in the US) or europe-info@telos-systems.com (in Europe and Asia) before upgrading to determine if the upgrade software is right for you.

* NEW GEAR GUIDE: Every week, more Telos, Omnia and Axia equipment goes into radio stations worldwide. Here are a few of the folks getting new goodies this week:

- Zephyr Xstream ISDN & Xport POTS Codecs are now heard on:
ISP Sports Network, (www.ispsports.com)
The Michael Savage Show (www.michaelsavage.com)
Ohio Center for Broadcasting (www.beonair.com)
XM Satellite Radio (www.xmradio.com)

- Stations Upgrading to Omnia Audio Processing:
Voice of Han, Taipei, Taiwan, gets Omnia-6EX (www.voh.com.tw)
WMUZ-FM, Detroit, upgrades to Omnia-6EXi with Diversity Delay (www.wmuz.com)
WDAS-FM, Philadelphia, gets Omnia-6EX (http://wdasfm.amfmi.com)
KHWY-FM, Barstow, CA. gets Omnia A/X Software Audio Processing (www.thehighwaystations.com)

- Axia IP-Audio Networks are being installed at:
NewCap Broadcasting, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (www.ncc.ca)
Indiana University's WFIU-FM, Bloomington, IN (www.wfiu.org)
Multicultural Radio, New York City (www.mrbi.net)

* TECH TIP - SERIES 2101: "I've just ordered a Telos Series 2101 talkshow system and I need to order PRI. Do you have any guidelines for how to do so?"

---> ANSWER: You bet. In fact, we've just updated our Tech Paper discussing how to order PRI for use with 2101; it walks you through everything you'll need to know, from how to talk to the Telco to determining how to set up trunk groups. We've also included a list of Telco contact numbers, and faxable order forms to help you communicate exactly what you need. Download this PDF document (and similar dox for ordering BRI for use with TWOx12, and ISDN for Zephyr) from www.telos-systems.com/techtalk/isdn_order.htm .

* BROADCAST LINK OF THE WEEK: Searching for parts for old consumer gear? Sometimes you can tear your hair out trying to find replacement bits to keep equipment running. A friend recently turned me on to www.partstore.com , a huge clearing house of parts for electronics, computers, appliances and more. Searching is easy, by manufacturer and model number - within 60 seconds, I'd found 10 pages of parts for my beloved Sony CRF-1 shortwave receiver. Sorry, no Ampex 601 parts available :)

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE: 5.1 surround sound for HD Radio has occupied a lot of print space recently; it almost seems that 5.1 on FM is all but assured. But if you're just beginning to examine how multichannel audio is delivered to consumers (and by extension, will be delivered to radio), it can be quite confusing: what's the difference between DVD-A, SACD, DTS and others? What's a DualDisc? And how will Blu-Ray affect these standards? Telos founder Steve Church has written a handy "survival guide" titled "Surround Cuisine For Newbies" that's just appeared in the June issue of Radio Guide (www.radio-guide.com). Don't have a copy? You can read it online; just visit www.telos-systems.com/news , or click http://tinyurl.com/excl5  for the direct link (PDF viewer required). Thanks to Barry Mishkind and Ray Topp for allowing us to archive this article online.

Subscribe to eNews

Get every issue of Telos, Omnia & Axia eNews in your mailbox! Click Here  to subscribe. (Don't worry - we hate SPAM and our mailing list stays private.)

* FROM THE MAILBAG: Thanks to all the Omnia-6 users who've written us lately with great stories about Omnias. Here's a sample of some e-mails we've received recently: "I knew the Omnia would make a difference, but Holy Cow! I never expected it would make THAT MUCH difference!" "Thanks to Omnia, our TSL increased by one-third in the last book. It's amazing how clean it sounds." And finally: "We could never get the bass right with our old O**** processor. It just never thumped like it should have. Since I put the Omnia-6 online, I can hear when one of our listeners is driving down the street... our PD is ecstatic!" Got an Omnia story to tell? E-mail clark@OmniaAudio.com  .

* NEW OMNIA SOFTWARE ONLINE: Omnia-6EX users, take note: Version 7.1 software and Omnia-6 Remote v7.1 have just been released. The latest software for all Omnia products is always online at www.omniaaudio.com/support/updates.htm ; to find out if the new software is right for your application, e-mail our support team at support@omniaaudio.com before installing.

* NEW SMARTSURFACE FIRMWARE ONLINE: SmartSurface users can find the latest firmware upgrades for SmartSurface (v2.49.53) and the Axia Studio Engine (v2.3.27a5) at www.AxiaAudio.com/downloads/ . New features include enhanced Show Profile creation and editing, and enhanced GPIO functions. Check with our support team by emailing inquiry@AxiaAudio.com to determine if this software update is right for you.

* FRANK FOTI RETURNS TO THE CONCLAVE: Attendees of last year's Conclave Learning Conference in Minneapolis were left wide-eyed when Omnia president Frank Foti let them hear just how powerful music in Surround Sound can be - and tantalized them with the possibility of HD Radio in 5.1. There have been lots of developments in HD Surround since then, and Frank will be heading back to the Conclave this year with an over-the-air demonstration of Coded-Discrete surround. If your Program Director, Music Director or Operations Manager is attending Conclave 2005, be sure to have them attend Frank's session with iBiquity's Don Kelly and Infinity's Dave Robbins, entitled "Begin The Revolution: HD Radio For Fun And Profit." The two-part session takes place Friday, July 22; visit www.theconclave.com for more details.

* TELOS / OMNIA / AXIA ON THE ROAD: Meet us at these upcoming events:

• Frank Foti co-hosts HD Radio sessions at The Conclave in Minneapolis, Friday, July 22nd (www.theconclave.com)

• See Axia at the Mountain State SBE (Chapter 116) Statewide Meeting in Flatwoods, West Virginia on August 1st (http://tinyurl.com/96omf)

• Axia returns to the Texas Association of Broadcasters convention August 4th at the Hilton Austin (www.tab.org)

• Kirk Harnack will demo Axia gear at the Nebraska Broadcasters Association convention, August 10-12 in Lincoln, NE (www.ne-ba.org)

• Shake our hands at the NAB Radio Show, September 21 - 23 at the Philadelphia Convention Center (www.nab.org)

• Dallas SBE 2005 Broadcast Engineering Expo, October 19 & 20 (www.sbe67.org)

• See Kirk Harnack's Axia demonstration at Bos-Con 2005 in Marlborough, MA on October 25 & 26 (www.bos-con.com)

• We'll also be at these upcoming local SBE meetings:
  - Dallas Chapter 67, July 28th (www.sbe67.org)
  - New Orleans Chapter 72, August 17th (www.sbe72.org)
  - Washington, DC Chapter 37, September 13th (www.sbe37.org)
  - Detroit Chapter 82, October 7th (http://broadcast.net/~sbe82)

* NEW GEAR GUIDE: Every week, more Telos, Omnia and Axia equipment goes into radio stations worldwide. Here are a few of the folks getting new goodies this week:

- Stations now logging with Telos ProFiler include:
Northwestern College Radio (http://nwc.nwc.edu)
KSSN-FM, Little Rock, AR (www.kssn.com)
WBZX-FM, Columbus, OH (www.wbzx.com)
WYCD-FM, Detroit (www.wycd.com)

- Stations Upgrading to Omnia Audio Processing:
WMZQ-FM, Washington DC (www.wmzq.com), Omnia-6
WNVE-FM, Rochester, NY (www.1073thenerve.com), Omnia-6
KCOF-LP, Captain Cook, HI, Omnia-A/X
KCDX-FM, Phoenix, AZ (www.kcdx.com), Omnia-6

- Axia IP-Audio Networks are being installed at:
Corus Broadcasting, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (www.corusent.com)
Radio Free Asia, Thailand (www.rfa.org)
KMHD-FM, Mount Hood Community College (www.kmhd.org)
Que Pasa Radio, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (www.quepasamedia.com)

* TECH TIP - ZEPHYR XPORT: From our Support e-mail account comes this question: "I just bought a Zephyr Xport with the ISDN option. Can it talk to my classic Zephyr (you know, the black one)?"

---> ANSWER: Yes it can. Someone may tell you that Xport will only work with Zephyr Xstream, but the fact is that Xport is very flexible and it can talk to many different codecs. Here's how: First, make sure your Xport has the latest software, Version 2.0.2 (get it from www.telos-systems.com/support/software.htm). v2.0.2 gives your ISDN-equipped Xport G.722 capabilities, so it will communicate with your Classic Zephyr and also work perfectly with any other G.722 codec. Using the split-receive feature of your Zephyr Xstream or Zephyr Classic, you can even have 2 Xports in the field calling back to one Zephyr in your studio! You can also use Xport's G.722 coding to call another ISDN-equipped Xport (though in this case you'd benefit greatly from using Xport's superior AAC-LD Low Delay codec instead).

---> XTRA XPORT TIP: If your Xport is on a POTS line, you can also use it in hybrid mode to get telephone quality audio to your Zephyr Classic by dialing it from the Zephyr. To do this, press <Dial> and then press the <No> button and change the "Call Type" to "Phone." Then press <Yes>, enter the number of the Xport you're calling and press <Dial> to proceed.

---> SHARE YOUR TECH TIPS: Got a favorite way of using your Telos, Omnia or Axia gear that would be helpful for others to hear about it? E-mail it to clark@telos-systems.com and we'll use it in an upcoming eNews.

* BROADCAST LINKS OF THE WEEK: With FM surround being such a hot topic, plenty of folks have been searching for information on what content is available in SACD, DVD-A and DTS multi-channel formats. Here are a few we've found useful: www.sa-cd.net lists SACD releases from all manufacturers around the world; over 3100 titles and counting! DVD Audio Daily (www.dvdaudiodaily.com) reports on new releases and industry news relating to DVD-A. And www.dts.com/entertainment jumps to DTS Entertainment's listing of multichannel DTS audio discs. Have a favorite of your own? Write and let us know.

eNews from Telos / Omnia / Axia, June, 2005

* MIKE TOCCO TALKS PROCESSING: New York is perhaps the world's most competitive radio market. With nearly 70 radio signals in-market, it's imperative that your signal stands out. Maybe that's why an overwhelming number of New York stations have switched to Omnia audio processing to create their signature sound. "Even though WSKQ's loudness keeps up with the New York market, our time-spent-listening has improved because our processing doesn't fatique our listeners," says Mike Tocco, Chief Engineer of SBS Broadcasting's New York stations. He describes his experiences with his Omnia-6s in the current edition of Radio World; we've archived it for your convenience at www.omniaaudio.com/news/articles.htm (Acrobat reader required).

Subscribe to eNews

Get every issue of Telos, Omnia & Axia eNews in your mailbox! Click Here  to subscribe. (Don't worry - we hate SPAM and our mailing list stays private.)

* MAKING SURROUND FM-STEREO COMPATIBLE: The biggest buzz in HD Radio circles these days has to be the issue of 5.1 Surround. There are lots of different opinions on how this can be accomplished, but one thing's for sure: any future surround standard for broadcast must be compatible with the existing FM-Stereo standard. Omnia founder Frank Foti has written a new White Paper discussing this subject, entitled "5.1 Surround Sound Compatibility Within HD Radio and The Existing FM-Stereo Environment." Check it out on the Omnia website at www.omniaaudio.com/tech/ .

* THE DEBATE GOES ON: There's already been a lot of open discussion among the different proponents of FM surround, and there will likely be lots more. The give-and-take continues in the June 8th issue of Radio World (www.radioworld.com), where Steve Church and Frank Foti have contributed a guest commentary entitled "Discrete Surround Can Be Simple," which speaks about issues such as cost of implementation, downmixing of multichannel content, and the major issue of discrete versus matrixed surround. Read it on the Radio World website at http://tinyurl.com/7npdw .

* INEXPENSIVE SURROUND STUDIOS: In the guest commentary above, Steve and Frank touch on the subject of constructing surround-capable broadcast studios, and what that might cost compared to traditional stereo-only studios. Using the Axia IP-Audio networking approach, it's possible to construct new studios for surround broadcasting for the same cost as stereo. In fact, the Axia approach lets you construct those new studios for _less_ than it would cost to build new stereo studios using traditional hardwired methods! For a detailed analysis of how this can be done, read "Broadcasting in Discrete 5.1 Surround: What's The Cost?" at www.axiaaudio.com/surround/ .

* HELLO, I'M HERE TO PICK UP MY PRIZE: You've probably been around when the Promotion Director's tearing his hair out because an on-air contest went awry. The concert guest list got lost... or the prizes ran short... or the jock didn't write down the winner's info. Or you've heard the jocks complaining about the "prize pig" that wins two or three times a week. Well, NeoWinners software can solve all these problems and more! NeoWinners is a standalone suite for Windows that can also interface directly with Telos Twox12 and Series 2101 talk show systems. It automates the scheduling of giveaways and the tracking of winners, keeping a real-time count of prize inventories and identifying and eliminating "serial winners." Read more at www.telos-systems.com/news/ , and have your PD see NeoWinners at the Radio & Records Convention in Cleveland, June 23-25.

* NEW GEAR GUIDE: Every week, more Telos, Omnia and Axia equipment goes into radio stations worldwide. Here are a few of the folks getting new goodies this week:

• Stations now logging with Telos ProFiler include:
  Northwestern College Radio (http://nwc.nwc.edu)
  KSSN-FM, Little Rock, AR (www.kssn.com)
  WBZX-FM, Columbus, OH (www.wbzx.com)
  WYCD-FM, Detroit (www.wycd.com)
   

• Stations Upgrading to Omnia Audio Processing:
  WMZQ-FM, Washington DC (www.wmzq.com), Omnia-6
  WNVE-FM, Rochester, NY (www.1073thenerve.com), Omnia-6
  KCOF-LP, Captain Cook, HI, Omnia-A/X
  KCDX-FM, Phoenix, AZ (www.kcdx.com), Omnia-6

* TELOS / OMNIA / AXIA ON THE ROAD: Meet us at these upcoming events:

• See Telos at the Radio & Records convention, June 23-25 in Cleveland.
  Come by Table #3 for a demonstration of the new NeoWinners contest
  management software! (www.radioandrecords.com)
   

• Kirk Harnack will be at SBE Chapter 5 in Atlanta, Georgia showing new
  Axia IP-Audio gear June 30th (www.broadcast.net/~sbe5/).
   

• Kirk will also be at SBE Chapter 67 in Dallas, Texas, July 28th
  (www.sbe67.org)

* BROADCAST LINKS: With FM surround being such a hot topic, plenty of folks have been searching for information on what content is available in SACD, DVD-A and DTS multi-channel formats. Here are a few we've found useful: www.sa-cd.net lists SACD releases from all manufacturers around the world; over 3100 titles and counting! DVD Audio Daily (www.dvdaudiodaily.com) reports on new releases and industry news relating to DVD-A. And www.dts.com/entertainment jumps to DTS Entertainment's listing of multichannel DTS audio discs. Have a favorite of your own? Write and let us know.

eNews from Telos / Omnia / Axia, May, 2005

* WOR, NEW YORK, SIGNS ON WITH AXIA: If you haven't already heard the news, New York's legendary WOR has commissioned their new Manhattan digs, signing on their Axia-powered studios at 111 Broadway on May 2nd. WOR has a lot of history, being one of the oldest AM stations in New York City (on the air since 1922), the nation's first CBS affiliate, and the world's first AM HD-Radio broadcaster. Now, WOR and the WOR Network is the first broadcaster in NYC to build studios using Axia IP-Audio Network technology. Tom Ray, WOR's longtime DOE, told us that "The installation was very simple. Being able to use off-the-shelf CAT-6 cable for all connections - audio and interconnect network - is something we really appreciate." Want to read more about it? Browse www.AxiaAudio.com/news/ and click on "WOR Is On The Air."

Subscribe to eNews

Get every issue of Telos, Omnia & Axia eNews in your mailbox! Click Here  to subscribe. (Don't worry - we hate SPAM and our mailing list stays private.)

* SPEAKING OF TOM RAY: The folks at Telos, Omnia and Axia join the broadcasting community in congratulating Tom, who has just been promoted to Vice President/Corporate Directory of Engineering for Buckley Broadcasting (read more at http://tinyurl.com/dnwe6). Tom's association with Buckley goes a long ways back - his first radio job was at a Buckley station in 1977! Congratulations for a job well done! (By the way, we can't help noting that the press photo of Tom issued by Buckley's PR department shows him in front of a rack of brand-new Axia gear - see for yourself at www.wor710.com/photos/tom_ray_1.jpg .)

* 200 OMNIAS AND COUNTING: Sacramento, California-based EMF Broadcasting (www.emfbroadcasting.com) recently became one of the world's largest Omnia users. Their latest order of 60 Omnia-6fms makes EMF the proud owner of just over 200 Omnia audio processors which power the company's Air One and K-LOVE broadcast networks. EMF's Director of Programming, Mike Novak, told us that when they tested Omnia along with other audio processors, "Omnia won hands down." See www.OmniaAudio.com to find out more about the new Omnia-6 EXi HD+FM processors, with onboard Diversity Delay and LoIMD clipping.

* THANK YOU VERY MUCH: If you visited us at NAB, you no doubt watched as rock, R&B and jazz music in multi-channel 5.1 format (accompanied by a stereo track - that's 8 channels of audio) was mixed by a new Axia Element modular audio console and transmitted, using HD Radio technology, across the show floor to be processed by an Omnia-6 and decoded into awesome-sounding surround audio. Some folks liked it so much, we earned an award for our demonstration - a Radio World "Cool Stuff" award, given to Telos, Omnia and Axia for our promotion of Surround Sound for broadcast. If you didn't get to the show, you can read more about how discrete 5.1 + stereo works on HD Radio by reading http://tinyurl.com/8a8q4 (you'll need your PDF viewer).

* NEW GEAR GUIDE: Every week, more Telos, Omnia and Axia equipment goes into radio stations worldwide. Here are a few of the folks getting new goodies this week:

- Zephyr Xstream ISDN Codecs now broadcasting at:

• KLUV-FM, Dallas, TX (www.kluv.com)

• Fox Sports Network, Los Angeles (www.foxsports.com)

• WNNX-FM, Atlanta, GA (www.99x.com)

• Emmis Communications, St. Louis (www.971talk.com

- New Omnia audio processors are powering:

• KFXR-AM, Dallas, TX (Omnia-5EX HD+AM)

• WJBT-FM, Jacksonville, FL (Omnia-6EX HD+FM)

• WDAS-FM, Philadelphia (Omnia-6EX HD+FM)

• WWBG-AM, Greensboro, NC(Omnia-3AM)

- Axia IP-Audio Networks are being installed at:

• Illinois Bible Institute's WBGL-FM (www.wbgl.org)

• Hispanic Radio Network (www.hrn.org)

• KSDO, San Diego, CA (http://nuevavida.com)

• WSNY-FM, Columbus, OH (www.wsny.net)

* TELOS / OMNIA / AXIA ON THE ROAD: Meet our representatives at these upcoming events:

• Mary Ann Seidler and Axia president Mike Dosch will be at
  Broadcast Asia, Booth 1E2-01, June 14-17 in the Singapore Expo Center
  (www.broadcast-asia.com)
   

•  Kirk Harnack will be at SBE Chapter 5 in Atlanta, Georgia
  showing new Axia IP-Audio gear June 28th, 2005
  (see www.broadcast.net/~sbe5/ for details)...
   

•  ... and Kirk will also be at SBE Chapter 67 in Dallas, Texas
  July 28th, 2005 (www.sbe67.org)

* TECH TIP OF THE WEEK: "Where can I find the latest software downloads for my Telos, Omnia and Axia gear?" I like this question, because it's an easy one to answer. You can find the latest software on the Telos, Omnia and Axia websites. Bookmark these links for quick access:

• Telos: www.telos-systems.com/support/software.htm

• Omnia: www.OmniaAudio.com/support/updates.htm

• Axia: www.AxiaAudio.com/downloads/
  
  Check often; we post new software as soon as it's available!

eNews from Telos / Omnia / Axia, April, 2005

Special NAB Issue

If you're heading to NAB 2005 in Las Vegas, no doubt you're busy making preparations. As always, there'll be a lot to see, do and hear, and not nearly enough time to spend on all of it! That said, Telos, Omnia and Axia hope you'll make time to come shake our hands and see what we've been working on:

* WHITE PAPERS: The T/O/A gang have been busy. We'll be presenting the following papers for your edification:

- 16 April (the day prior to the start of NAB): Frank Foti will be at the SBE Ennes Workshop to present "Quality Master Control Room Audio Monitoring - The Dawn Of A New Day". Session takes place from 1PM - 1:45.

- 17 April: Frank will present "The Killer App for FM: Distinct 5.1 Surround Sound" from 10AM - 10:30. Check your NAB Guide for location.

- 18 April: Steve Church and Michael Dosch will present "Studio Structures for Surround Broadcasting" from 1:30 - 2PM. Again, check your NAB Guide for location.

Subscribe to eNews

Get every issue of Telos, Omnia & Axia eNews in your mailbox! Click Here  to subscribe. (Don't worry - we hate SPAM and our mailing list stays private.)

* HEAR 5.1 BROADCAST OVER LIVE FM: The buzz about Surround Sound for FM HD Radio is enormous, and Telos, Omnia, Axia and our friends at Fraunhofer Labs and Bose have teamed up for a live demonstration of distinct 5.1 using FhG's "Coded-Discrete" technology; the only 5.1 FM proposal that results in the listener hearing distinct multi-channel audio (instead of a matrixed scheme, like the old '70's Quad tech). There will be two demonstrations: One in the Axia and Telos / Omnia booths (Booths N3616 and N2816 in the Radio Hall), and one in the NAB Surround Pavilion (Booth C3607D in the Central Hall), where you'll be able to hear 5.1 FM in the comfort of an Acura MDX SUV. You owe it to yourself to hear how good 5.1 FM can sound!


* NEW AXIA CONSOLE: The rumor that Axia has been working on a new, modular control surface has been making its way through the industry grapevine. Well, the rumor is true: Axia's new ELEMENT modular control surface will be introduced at NAB, and it's a beauty (if we do say so ourselves). It comes in configurations that support from 4 to 32 faders, and has all sorts of cool features (like auto mix-minus and one-touch off-air record mode) designed to make producing and airing radio shows easier than ever. See ELEMENT mixing 5.1 surround sound in the Axia booth for our 5.1 FM demonstration detailed above! Radio Hall, booth N3616.


* NEW OMNIA PROCESSORS: The new Omnia EXi audio processor series has everone talking, thanks to technological innovations like onboard HD Radio Diversity Delay that moves delay generation out of the HD Exciter to ensure the integrity of analog and digital program streams, and the new LoIMD Clipper that kills IMD distortion - even when you're processing for maximum competitive loudness. Initial field reports have raved about the sonic purity the Omnia-6 EXi and -5 EXi delivers for FM stations - and there's a Omnia-5 EXi for AM broadcasters that sounds so good, nothing else comes close. Not only that, owners of Omnia-6, -5 and -4.5 can upgrade to this exciting new tech. Come by booth N2816 in the Radio Hall, where you'll be able to hear Omnia-6 EXi processing as part of our 5.1 FM surround sound demonstration. Browse www.OmniaAudio.com/news/ to read more.


* NEW AXIA IPLAY SOFTWARE LETS PCS LISTEN TO ETHERNET STREAMS: Of course you already know that our Axia IP-Audio networking technology lets regular PCs use our IP-Audio Driver to send and receive linear PCM digital audio directly to and from an IP-Audio network using their standard NIC. But some users may just want to audition what's available on the network. Because Axia uses standards-based streaming technology, users can listen with any standards-based player such as Windows Media or Winamp. Now Axia offers another option. The new iPlay for Windows emulates an Axia hardware router selector with the ability to scroll and select from any stream and eight programmable hot buttons for instant switching. iPlay lets users hear the networked audio using their computer's standard sound card - no extra equipment needed. Great for sales staff, general managers, PDs and OMs who want to be able to hear what's going on anywhere, anytime. See iPlay in the Axia booth, N3616.


* NEW CALL CONTROLLER FOR TWOx12 TALKSHOW SYSTEMS: Our new Telos Call Controller has had a lot of folks ooh-ing and aah-ing lately. Call Controller lets producers take control of Telos TWOx12 talkshow systems with our familiar, easy-to-use Status Symbols visual call management system, with a twist: you can use any phone you choose for call screening! Want to plug in a wireless headset and roam the studio while producing a talkshow? No problem with the Call Controller. And it works with all existing TWOx12 systems - plug it right in and go. Come see the Call Controller in the Telos / Omnia booth, #N2816. Visit www.telos-systems.com/accessories/directors.htm for a peek.


* NEW DELIVERY SYSTEM PARTNERS FOR AXIA: We're pleased to tell you that OMT Technologies (www.imediatouch.com), makers of the popular iMediaTouch digital delivery system, and Pristine Systems (www.pristinesys.com), with their CDS32 digital content delivery system, have become the newest Axia partners, joining ENCO, Scott Studios and Prophet Systems. This means that Axia IP-Audio Networking clients with iMediaTouch or CDS32 systems can now eliminate noisy, expensive sound card conversions altogether and send their playout system's audio directly to the Axia network via Ethernet! Visit www.AxiaAudio.com/partners/ to find out more.


* WOR BUYS AXIA IP-AUDIO NETWORK: Not really an NAB story, but so cool we had to share it here. WOR, the legendary New York news/talk powerhouse, decided on Axia IP-Audio equipment as the basis of a new 9-room studio complex in Manhattan. Tom Ray, WOR's well-known chief (and corporate DOE for Buckley Broadcasting), told us "WOR was looking for a high tech digital solution that was also cost effective. The Axia system provides all the flexibility the WOR operation requires, allows a mixture of analog and digital I/O, and was extremely cost effective. Choosing the Axia system was a slam-dunk." Want to read more about Axia and WOR? Visit www.AxiaAudio.com/news/ .

eNews from Telos / Omnia / Axia, March, 2005

Special Issue: Steve Church's CeBIT wrapup!

(As he does every year, Telos founder Steve Church investigated the goings-on at CeBIT. This issue of eNews brings you Steve's look at what's on the technology horizon --Ed.)

CeBIT is the world's biggest technology exhibition, with 480,000 visitors jostling to get a peek at the wares on display from 6,270 exhibitors. I've made the annual trek for the past few years because it's the best place on Earth to try to understand what is going on in the world of communications, computing, and consumer technologies.

The economy has surely entered an upswing, if CeBIT attendance is an indication - and it probably is. In the past 3 years there's been no problem to get a hotel in Hannover, Germany, where the show takes place. This year, your reporter secured a place to sleep only after pulling a favor from his travel agent, who called a connection, who somehow tapped into a "reserved block" and finally landed a room - in Berlin! This is about 160 miles away, but there's a fast train (200km/hour) that makes the trip in an hour-and-a-half. Figured this was not much worse than the commute from the suburbs into downtown that some of you make each day, so no complaint, really.

The show is so big, it was impossible to see it all in the two days I was there, but I was able to catch most of the stuff relevant to audio broadcasting. Which, one the one hand was exhilarating, and on the other, worrying.

Subscribe to eNews

Get every issue of Telos, Omnia & Axia eNews in your mailbox! Click Here  to subscribe. (Don't worry - we hate SPAM and our mailing list stays private.)

The exhilarating part was the explosion of networking technologies that we can use to build modern studio facilities. Ethernet and things to plug into it were everywhere - as if some natural force was causing every ecological niche to be filled. Switches, routers, phones, interfaces, servers, WiFi, WiMax, iPods and other players, a bewildering variety of PCs, optical links, Telco central office gear, on and on, aisle after aisle. This is certainly the age of the network, and you'll see our contribution to this phenomenon at the NAB next month, where we'll show you how to use computer networks to build a studio facility and airchain that is both cheaper and more capable than the old-fashioned way.

Our long-time partner, the public German Fraunhofer laboratory, inventors of MPEG MP3 and AAC, had a big display in the Future Park hall. They announced that DIVX will use MP3 Surround as the next-generation audio codec for their video software and that more announcements are soon to come. The surround part of this is the same technology that we are proposing for HD Radio, so it was good to see this traction. It means that chips will be coming with the surround decoder built-in. They also had their new surround headphone technology called Ensonido on display. This takes a 5.1 channel input and creates a surround experience *on normal stereo headphones* using head-related-transfer-functions. I convinced the FhG guys to let us demo this at the NAB, so you'll soon have a chance to check out this system for yourself if you'll be in Las Vegas. It seems this tech will be coming to MP3 players soon and may be a catalyst for surround music for the masses. Of course, this could also work to deliver surround to broadcast listeners on headphones.

Americans invented the PC and the Internet, and vendors like Microsoft, Intel, and Cisco still dominate the "value chain", but one cannot fail to be impressed by the amazing variety of PC-related products on offer from Asian outfits. Endless booths with cases, coolers, cards, boards, monitors, supplies, drives, keyboards, speakers, DSL boxes, wireless stuff. Perhaps the most impressive thing that caught my eye was the tiny PC on a card from VIA. About the size of a credit card, it runs standard Windows and Linux applications. I also loved the computerized sport shoes that adjust their sole elasticity to the surface upon which they are running, and the jacket with MP3 player buttons built-in to the sleeves.

The power of creativity was everywhere to be seen and is a vivid reminder of what people can accomplish when they are using their imaginations. One comes away with a feeling of tremendous respect for human inventive capacity and optimism for the future.

But for our industry, there are developments that look worrisome. The iPod is today's Walkman. You remember that the Walkman started as a cassette player, but quickly went on to include an FM radio. The iPod doesn't have one, and almost no other MP3 player does either. At the same time, there are now docks that let you use your iPod as a substitute for your car radio and home stereo. Supposedly, these docks are going to be in some original equipment car radios by next year.

Over in the red-hot mobile phone exhibits, you could see a bunch of them sporting integrated MP3 players and download services to fill them are getting started. (Motorola was rumored to be introducing one that would work with iTunes, but seems it was postponed.) No FM radios.

At the consumer electronics exhibits, flat-screen TVs with surround speaker set-ups were the norm. No FM radios.

There were some demonstrations and a lot of buzz about a new category of living room product called "HDD DVD" to be introduced later this year. These are DVD player/recorders with a hard drive and some intelligence. At first glance, this might look a bit like TIVO, but HDD DVD is much more - or much less - depending on how you look at it. HDD DVD will allow you to record programs, sports events, movies, etc., and cut your own DVD's for storage. Unlike TIVO, HDD DVD will not have a monthly charge. The unit is always standing-by to record your favorite programs. When you are ready to watch them, an on-screen menu shows you what was recorded. You click a button to view only what you want to view and in what order. In what could be a blow to TV stations and networks, commercials can be automatically deleted. These are supposed to be $299 at Walmart by this Christmas.

A similar, but more powerful product is the PC-based "home media center". These are usually built around Microsoft's media software, but there are also Linux-based products. Microsoft says they have already sold a million software packages. A bunch of Asian companies were showing sleek devices with TV tuners, DVD drives, hard disks, and network interfaces - wired and wireless. As with the HDD DVD boxes, you can record and play TV, but most also let you download music and video from the Internet and you can have terminals around your house that tap into the programs stored on the unit's hard drive. But FM tuners? Nope. (I'm guessing that Howard Stringer - a content guy - being named Sony CEO is going to heat up this category in a big way as he searches for new ways to "synergize" programs and technology.)

More than a few people are sounding off on radio's distressed future lately, and that alarm surely needs to be sounded. But we also need to keep things in perspective. Will media centers and iPods kill radio? I don't think so. Human nature is working against it. When I got my first car CD player, I loved it. Rotated all my favorite discs through the car - for about two months, when boredom set in and radio's right-now news and talk variety won me back. Even ad-laden music stations were better than CDs because they offered the element of surprise and the chance to hear something new. The story repeated a couple years later when I got an MP3 disc player in the car. All the fresh stuff on my PC was fodder for on-road listening, so it was back to recorded music - for awhile. Couple of months later, and the radio was on more than the player.

Broadcast radio is an effective way to connect audio producers and consumers. It's a tech that works without hassle and everybody has a receiver. Despite complaints about today's radio being repetitive and stale, it's probably true that programmers have pretty well figured out how to appeal to mass-market listeners. But, just as thousands of small-signal AM stations were marginalized as FM caught-on in the 70s and 80s, so might FM suffer a similar fate under pressure from satellites, iPods, networked media centers, MP3-enabled mobile phones, surround music DVDs, and all of the mutations and combinations of these themes sure to be coming. While listeners are mostly still with us, the technology world is finding nothing compelling in today's radio broadcasting.

What can we do to reverse this? To start, we need to get our transmission tech up to date. Everything media-related is already, or soon will be, digital. Radio is going to be an analog orphan if we don't get HD Radio on the air everywhere. Digital machines need to eat digital food. Once we have that in place, broadcasters and manufacturers can go on to collaborate to invent devices that have internal storage to make a new hybrid that includes traditional radio programming, "podcast" downloads, and MP3 playback. As listeners, we often want to actively choose, but we are also happy at times to be in a passive just-play-me-something or tell-me-something mood. And we usually want the comfort of a human con